


You Are Everything Good In Me

by xalexudinovx



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Danvers Sisters, F/M, Feelings, Fluff, MonLex, canon-divergent, monwinn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-05-25 21:07:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14985605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xalexudinovx/pseuds/xalexudinovx
Summary: "...You’ve always been the strongest, bravest person I know...” Mon-El’s voice trailed off in a long pause and his heart clenched.Memories of them together - the sound of her laugh during Funny Face, tangled up in bed, making her breakfast, sparring at the DEO - flitted through his mind and he closed his eyes and let the tears fall, no longer fighting the pain. When he spoke again his voice was just a whisper. “You remember our first kiss? I thought I was dying and I’d never see you again. Rao, I’d give anything to kiss you one more time.” A tear slipped down his cheek and he opened his eyes to see it land on the back of his hand resting on the console and he sucked in a shaky breath. “You are everything good in me, Kara. And I love you.”----------“You’ve always been the strongest, bravest person I know...you remember our first kiss? I’d give anything to kiss you one more time. You are everything good in me. And I love you.”Post-3x14 canon-divergent season 3 ending, inspired by the quote above from the TV show Krypton. Be sure to read the Author's Note or you'll be really confused.





	1. Author's Note

~

_“You’ve always been the strongest, bravest person I know...you remember our first kiss? I’d give anything to kiss you one more time. You are everything good in me. And I love you.”_

~

The idea for this initially came when I was watching _Krypton_ (which is fantastic, by the way) and the main character, Seg (who is actually Kara and Kal’s grandfather), says the line shown above to Lyta, the woman he loves. Something about the dialogue just struck a chord with me and I found myself thinking about how applicable it could be to Kara and Mon-El. And then of course, the more I thought about it, the more that pieces started to come together until I decided that it really needed to be turned into a proper Karamel fanfiction.

The outcome is basically my canon-divergent headcanon of what I wish would've happened in the season three finale of _Supergirl_. Anyone who’s been following me on Twitter knows how disappointed I am in this season overall, so this was tough to write in the sense that I’m trying to work with canon, which is riddled with plot holes (I absolutely loathe plot holes) and plenty of out-of-character moments. So with that in mind, please note that I have taken plenty of liberties, especially in regards to character interactions, and I apologize profusely in advance for any plot holes that I was not able to address (there’s just _sooo_ many). However, I absolutely do not apologize for the large amount of MonLex brotp moments in this story. They are the most underrated brotp ever and the show never feeds me so this story is partly to satisfy my cravings. Feel free to come and cry about them with me on Twitter afterwards.

One other thing to note: I wasn’t originally going to include Brainy or Imra in this fanfiction, but as the story went along, I realized that it would be best to include them a little bit for the story to make sense. I’m not a fan of them at all for so many reasons, but here’s the thing: when you’re writing a story, you have to prioritize the characters’ stories above the plot you want (the _Supergirl_ writers can’t relate - #sorrynotsorry for the shade). So as much as I didn’t want to include them in this story, it needed to be done for things to make sense on Mon-El’s end.

Here are the main things you need to know for context:

  * Because of the timing of when I started writing this, ignore canon after 3x14, unless I specify otherwise
  * Mon-El _did_ get his real suit back
  * Kara found a way to stop the Worldkillers and save Sam, Julia, and Grace by appealing to their humanity (feel free to use your imagination cause otherwise I won’t be specifying how in this fanfiction), but it didn’t happen until the final battle so Brainy and Imra never left like they did in 3x18, they stuck around the whole time
  * The Legion plot holes are the bane of my existence, so in my attempt to address those you’ll find out that the Legion was lying to Mon-El about basically everything, including the ability to time travel (more details in the story)
  * Kara accidentally found out about the arranged marriage when Brainy slipped up some time after 3x14
  * Since I’m ignoring canon after 3x14, I will confirm that the Argo City/Alura storyline does _not_ exist in this fanfiction; sorry, Alura is still very much dead



This fanfiction is specially dedicated to Opal - who has been a great friend to me since joining the Karamel fandom and who encouraged me to start watching _Krypton_ in the first place, thus making this story possible - as well as my fellow MonLex fans.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta'd. I'm rusty, be gentle with me.

It was over.

The Worldkillers had been defeated and Sam, Julia, and Grace were safe. National City, and the world, was safe. And that, unfortunately, meant it was time to leave. Brainy was making sure the ship systems were ready to go and Winn had offered to give him a hand, allowing Mon-El some time alone, although he had a hunch Winn really just wanted one last spin with 31st century technology. Mon-El had no doubt that the brilliant tech genius would soon be hard at work in the lab trying to invent some new revolutionary piece of technology, inspired by everything he’d seen in the past few months.

It wouldn’t be long now before Brainy would alert him that the ship was ready to go. It was with a deep ache in his chest that Mon-El realized this as his eyes briefly scanned the lower level of the DEO, looking for the person he knew his heart would always long for, but could no longer have. He’d been forced to leave and she moved on. He couldn’t blame her for that, not when he had to leave again.

“She’s at CatCo,” Alex’s voice came harshly from his left. She’d managed to sneak up on him as he was lost in his thoughts and now she stood there stiffly in the middle of the hall, arms crossed over her chest, and glaring daggers at him.

Mon-El inhaled sharply and nodded quickly, unable to hold Alex’s gaze for too long as her unspoken words filled the space between them. _She can’t watch you leave again._ Instead, he stared at the DEO emblem on the floor below, thinking about how much he was going to miss this place again and trying not to think about how the tears had streamed down Kara’s face as she kissed him desperately one last time and then waved goodbye, her pod whisking him away. He heard Alex sigh and move towards him until she leaned her forearms against the railing next to him. They watched agents go about their daily business below for a minute before she spoke, her voice considerably more gentle this time.

“I know...I know that it’s not your fault, but part of me is still mad at you. Because you’ll leave again and I’ll have to pick up the pieces. Again.” Alex swallowed hard. “When you left the first time...she closed herself down and wore herself thin as Supergirl. We barely talked and I-I blamed myself because I didn’t know how to help her. I’m her sister, I should know how to help her,” she finished almost angrily, rubbing at an imaginary mark on her palm.

“Alex...it’s not your fault either. I’m sorry,” Mon-El choked out, tears burning his eyes as he gripped the metal railing. The feelings that her words stirred up were overwhelming and he hated that a small part of his heart jumped at the thought of Kara maybe not having moved on like he originally thought. “I just...I can’t-I have a duty. I wish-”

“I thought your marriage was over,” Alex interrupted, a slight edge to her voice. Mon-El’s eyes snapped to hers in question and Alex shrugged. “I talked to Winn.”

He sighed heavily, briefly closing his eyes and rubbing a hand over his face. He hadn’t meant for that knowledge to get out, but Winn had overheard him and Imra arguing a few weeks ago and he should’ve known that Winn couldn’t keep anything from Alex so he just nodded slowly. “No, you’re right. All the more reason why I have to go back and find another way to uphold the treaty so that the planets aren’t thrown into another war.”

Alex gave a short laugh and Mon-El glanced towards her. “Always have to save the world first. Kara taught you well,” she said. A fond, but sad, smile accompanied the warm look she gave him.

When Mon-El finally managed to speak past the lump in his throat, his voice came out as a whisper. “I owe her everything, Alex.”

They fell into a comfortable silence for a long moment, leaning against the railing, before Alex spoke up softly.

“You know, Kara isn’t the only one that missed you when you were gone. We all felt your absence. No one could admit it for a long time, but we missed your jokes and the way you always tried to lighten the mood,” Alex said with a wry smile and Mon-El couldn’t help chuckling sheepishly, scratching his jaw, though he sobered as she continued. “Winn spent weeks on end trying to find some way to locate your pod and had an emotional breakdown when he realized he couldn’t. I had to take him home from the bar that night. I know for a fact that J’onn misses you and your chocolate chip cookies cause he gets sad everytime he sees the store bought ones,” Alex said, the corners of her mouth quirking upwards, but her expression somber. “You were family. You still are.”

Hearing that they still cared about him and considered him family seemed to hurt as much as it helped. Part of Mon-El tucked Alex’s words away in his heart, knowing that he would think back on them later when he was missing them. But part of Mon-El also wanted to scream in frustration to tell Alex to stop as every word was just another cruel reminder of the life being ripped away from him. But he couldn’t do that, he couldn’t break down, so he swallowed and forced a chuckle instead, wincing internally at how pained it sounded. “You missed my jokes? But you never laughed at my jokes,” he said in mock protest.

Alex scoffed, her eyes crinkling into a smile. “Umm, first of all, most of them were really bad. Like dad-jokes-level bad. And secondly, I never said that _I_ specifically missed them. That was a very general ‘we’ that I used, okay?”

“Mmhmm, whatever you say, Agent Danvers,” Mon-El teased, grinning at her.

She was grinning back when he noticed her face fall, her gaze going to something over his shoulder. He turned to see Brainy coming down the hallway towards them.

“The ship is ready, Mon-El,” the Coluan called out crisply.

Mon-El turned back to Alex and sighed. “Well, I guess this is it,” he said softly.

“Let me see what J’onn is doing and I’ll meet you there,” Alex replied thickly. She clasped a hand to his shoulder briefly before walking off towards J’onn’s office.

It took a second for Mon-El to pull himself together and make his way in Brainy’s direction. “Imra?”

“She’s in the medical bay fixing the tears to her suit,” Brainy answered.

The subsequent silence between Mon-El and Brainy was heavy and strained as they made their way to the hangar where the Legion ship hummed quietly, ready for take off. Winn was already there, standing next to the ship with his arms crossed and a hand on his chin, giving it a studious look as if trying to commit every detail to memory. He turned when Mon-El and Brainy walked in, his eyes looking a little red.

Mon-El came up to stand next to Winn, struggling to keep the tears at bay as their imminent departure loomed over them. “Hey.”

“I really hate goodbyes, but I’m glad we at least get to say goodbye this time,” Winn sniffled, offering him a weak smile. He turned, arms outstretched, and Mon-El gingerly wrapped his own around his friend. “I’m really going to miss you, man,” he heard Winn murmur hoarsely against his shoulder. “And all the cool tech.”

Mon-El couldn’t resist chuckling at that, even as tears threatened to spill over. “I’m going to miss you too. You’re truly one of a kind, buddy. Thank you. For fixing my suit...and for everything.”

It wasn’t until Alex and J’onn walked in a minute later that they finally pulled apart. “Keep an eye on Kara for me, okay?” Mon-El said quietly enough for just Winn to hear. The tech genius nodded with an understanding smile. Mon-El glanced over at Brainy who was standing quietly off to the side and thankfully, the Coluan seemed to understand his silent request as he stepped forward.

“Director Henshaw, Agent Schott, Agent Danvers, it’s been an honor. I wish you well.” Brainy shook their hands briskly and gave them a perfunctory nod before looking at Mon-El. “I will be inside whenever you’re ready to take off.” Brainy disappeared into the ship and Mon-El was left facing J’onn, Alex, and Winn, with his throat tight and chest aching.

J’onn was the first to speak up. “President Marsdin sends her gratitude on behalf of the U.S. government for helping Supergirl stop the Worldkillers.”

Mon-El nodded, swallowing hard. The Martian stepped towards him and Mon-El could’ve sworn he saw tears in his eyes before he was enveloped in a brief hug. For the few seconds it lasted, Mon-El let himself relish the rare physical contact that he could actually feel.

“I’m so proud of you, son,” J’onn said gruffly.

Mon-El furiously blinked back the tears as the gravity of J’onn’s words sank in. “Thanks, Dad,” he joked in a desperate attempt to lighten the mood before he broke down completely. All of his life, he had longed to hear those words from his father. Hearing the words now from J’onn combined with the strength of his hug caused a tidal wave of emotion that threatened to pull him under. If J’onn saw through his attempt at humor, he didn’t mention it. He simply gave Mon-El one final squeeze around the shoulders and stepped back, a sad smile on his tired face.

Alex was the only one left and and with her came something that Mon-El knew he had to do, but dreaded regardless. But he’d put it off long enough. He reached for the chain around his neck, normally hidden under the neckline of his suit, and released the delicate clasp, gently dropping Kara’s necklace into his open palm. His hand trembled slightly, feeling as if he was holding his very heart.

He looked up at Alex as she stepped forward and cleared his throat, willing his voice not to shake. “I need you to give this back to Kara,” he said hoarsely.

Alex simply glanced down at his outstretched hand and shook her head before meeting his eyes again. “Mon-El, why did she give you her necklace?”

Mon-El blinked at her in confusion. “S-She said it was to keep me safe when I left...” he trailed off as Alex put her hand up to stop him, giving him a pointed look. She reached out and folded his fingers over the necklace in his palm. His eyes widened. “I can’t-”

“I know she would want you to keep it. To keep you safe,” Alex interrupted him firmly. She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck and he hugged her back as tightly as his strength allowed him to. “Thank you, Alex,” he murmured.

“Call her, Mon-El. She’s still in love with you too,” Alex said softly.

Mon-El stiffened, his mouth opening though unsure of what to say, but Alex was already pulling back, giving him a quick nod. “Take care of yourself.” Knowing that despite everything he was leaving behind, he still had a small piece of Kara gave him the strength to take a deep breath and straighten his shoulders as he walked up the ramp to the ship.

“Hey, Mon-El?”

The sound of Alex’s voice made him turn around to look at them one last time just before stepping inside. Winn sniffled, wiping his eyes, and J’onn put a reassuring hand on his shoulder while Alex swallowed and gave him a shaky smile.

“I believe in you.”

Her words sent him spiraling back in time to that night in the dimly lit bar where he’d sat feeling helpless, trying to lessen the weight of guilt and self-doubt with a bottle of rum. _I don’t believe in you, Mon-El. I suspect you’re a coward and that you’d run at the first sign of danger._ And now here she was standing a few feet away, arms crossed, a bittersweet smile on her face, and a tear rolling down her cheek watching him make a nearly impossible decision. It was all enough to allow a traitorous tear of his own to escape and make its way down his face. He couldn’t possibly manage words in that moment, so he just nodded and gave the three of them one last wave before forcing himself to step inside, the hatch pulling up behind him.

The door closed and locked with a soft hissing sound and he paused for a second to compose himself before heading towards the main deck, his thoughts going a hundred miles per hour. Walking past the med bay where Imra was brought up tense memories of the last couple of weeks. They fought side by side against the Worldkillers out of habit and necessity. But once they were off the battlefield, they barely spoke and avoided being in the same room for long, lest arguments flare up. Mon-El could still remember the cold numbness that had washed over him the night Imra had revealed everything the Legion had kept from him for years, from the ability to time travel to her spearheading the mission to kill Pestilence after her sister died from the Blight. He remembered feeling all the cracks in his heart breaking open again as Imra had tried to justify their lies.

_ “You don’t understand, Mon-El! Governments, police - we were all fighting a losing battle until we found you. Brainy did the calculations and with you we suddenly had a real chance of defeating the Blight. We couldn’t let you leave, millions of lives were at stake-” _

_ “You could have asked!” he’d interrupted with a hoarse yell, before slumping forward in defeat, head in his hands. “Gods, Imra, you could have just asked. I would have stayed. Do you think so little of me that you think I wouldn’t have wanted to help save millions of lives?” _

_ Imra had been quiet for a moment. “We didn’t know you then,” she’d finally answered. “All we knew were Brainy’s calculations-” _

_ “Forget the damn calculations, Imra! We worked together for seven years! We were friends! You had years to tell me. I lost everything and I just wanted...I wanted to have hope that I’d see Kara again. And you took that away from me. And then the marriage...” he’d trailed off, feeling sick to his stomach.  _

_ “I didn’t have a choice. We had to keep the Legion together if we wanted to have a chance. I would do it all again if it meant saving lives,” Imra had said firmly, crossing her arms. _

_ He’d just stared at her for a long time, trying to see the woman he’d first met years ago, the bright and hopeful woman he’d been proud to call a friend. Instead, all he saw now was a dull and worn replica who had lied to him for years and who had been willing to go against the very code he’d sworn to live by.  _

_ “We’re done.” It had come out soft, but sure. He’d spent the past few months battling his resurrected feelings, his doubts, and for the first time since, he was filled with complete certainty.  _

_ “What?” Imra’s eyes had hardened, shocked. _

_ “I said, we’re done,” he’d repeated.  _

_ “You can’t-” _

_He’d stood up straight then with newfound purpose and met her gaze dead on. “We’re going to help Kara defeat the Worldkillers and then we’re going to go back to the 31 st century and hold a meeting with the Council. We’re going to tell them everything and then we’re not going to leave that room until we find some other way to uphold the alliance. Because there’s always a choice and there’s always another way. And this?” He’d gestured between them. “Whatever this is, it isn’t working.”_

He didn’t know what was going to happen now. As far as his marriage was concerned, he was confident in his decision; however, self-doubt told him that the fact that the very team he’d put together hadn’t trusted him with the truth and had instead lied to him for years meant that perhaps he wasn’t the best suited to lead them. He’d done his best to train them and inspire them as Kara had done for him, building the Legion in her honor, but now he found himself questioning if it was enough. If _he_ was enough.

Mon-El sighed, rubbing his forehead as he joined Brainy on the main deck. His hand instinctively tightened around Kara’s necklace and Alex’s words echoed in his ears. _I know she would want you to keep it. To keep you safe._ Memories of that fateful day flashed through his mind’s eye, his jaw gripped by slender fingers and soft lips pressed against his, the taste of salt tainting the usual sweetness. _I love you. I should’ve said it before._

He didn’t realize he’d closed his eyes until he heard Brainy calling his name and they popped open to see the blue-skinned alien giving him a strange look.

“I asked if you want me to initiate take off protocol,” he repeated.

“No, I-I can do it,” Mon-El replied, shaking his head. “Could I have a minute alone, please?”

Brainy nodded stiffly, clasping his hands behind his back. “Of course.” He shuffled off the main deck, leaving Mon-El alone in the deafening silence.

It took only a second for Mon-El to set up a new recording for an audio file, in spite of his trembling fingers. He swallowed, his thumb rubbing over the pendant still in his hand, and started the recording.

“Kara, it’s me. I understand...why you didn’t come. It’s okay.” There was another long pause and a barely suppressed sob trembled at the corners of his lips before he took a deep breath. “I, umm, I broke the marriage off with Imra and I’m going to find another way to keep the alliance. But that’s...I just...I wanted to thank you again. I meant what I said to you weeks ago. That I’m committed to being the hero you’ve taught me to be...even through the impossible decisions, just like you. You’ve always been the strongest, bravest person I know...” Mon-El’s voice trailed off in a long pause and his heart clenched.

Memories of them together - the sound of her laugh during _Funny Face_ , tangled up in bed, making her breakfast, sparring at the DEO - flitted through his mind and he closed his eyes and let the tears fall, no longer fighting the pain. When he spoke again his voice was just a whisper. “You remember our first kiss? I thought I was dying and I’d never see you again. Rao, I’d give anything to kiss you one more time.” A tear slipped down his cheek and he opened his eyes to see it land on the back of his hand resting on the console and he sucked in a shaky breath. “You are everything good in me, Kara. And I love you.”

Admitting the words out loud set off a strange sensation. The pain was still there, but a small wave of relief washed over him, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Mon-El ended the recording and sent it to Kara’s phone before leaning over the panel for a moment, breathing through shuddering gasps. Then he fastened Kara’s necklace back around his neck, wiped his eyes, and initiated take off protocol.

 

~

 

It was an unusually quiet Friday afternoon at CatCo. Many of Kara’s coworkers had worked long hours earlier in the week, covering the chaos that had ensued when the Worldkillers had banded together to dispense justice upon National City, and had taken the afternoon off for an early weekend to spend with their families. Besides Kara, only several other employees were in the office, along with James, who was currently reviewing material for Sunday’s publications.

The words all blurred together on screen and Kara huffed in frustration at her lack of concentration. Her article on the final battle between Supergirl and the Worldkillers was due to James by morning to be reviewed in time for the Sunday issue and she’d barely written fifteen words. It was impossible to concentrate when the only thing her brain wanted to think about was _him_. Him and his stupidly handsome face and the giant smile he’d thrown her way the moment she’d gotten through to Sam, Julia, and Grace. Him in that breathtaking suit that resembled hers with just the El glyph outline stitched on the front, making her fingers ache to trace it. And worst of all, him and Imra and the sinking feeling she’d gotten in the pit of her stomach every time she’d seen them together.

It had made for a very awkward day when Brainy had accidentally let slip the truth about their marriage in front of half of the DEO. Mon-El had gone a little pale and Imra stiffened, excusing herself after the briefing, while Kara stood there, stunned. To his credit, Brainy had at least tried to look somewhat apologetic. The reveal had set off a roller coaster of emotions in Kara and she wasn’t able to sleep a wink that night, opting instead to fly across the city trying to clear her head. As the sun came up, she’d resigned herself to the hard truth that even if their marriage had been arranged, it was obvious to see that Mon-El loved Imra now. After all, it would be difficult to spend so many years with someone and not come to care for them.

So when Mon-El had tried to explain later, she’d cut him off to spare herself the pain of hearing him say that he didn’t love her anymore. She didn’t fully realize it then, but hurt and confusion had flashed across his face. However, he’d dropped the subject with a silent nod and didn’t bring it up again. From then on, they occasionally trained together - Mon-El teaching her some tricks with her cape - and fought together against the Worldkillers, like nothing had happened. She enjoyed their partnership in the field more than she should have, only to feel the sharp sting of disappointment when she’d return to her empty apartment at night, a sad reminder that it wouldn’t last. More than anything else, finding out about Mon-El’s arranged marriage just confirmed to her that him being here again was temporary.

And now here she was at CatCo, a day after the chaos finally ended, and her thoughts were overrun by him, while he and Imra and the rest of their team were preparing to return home to the 31st century. She hated that in trying to move on, she’d only fallen more in love with him. The painful realization came to her this morning after waking up from _the_ dream. The same dream that she’d had so many times in the past months, of her and Mon-El in a field on Krypton with her mother, surrounded by soft grass and warm sunlight. And like every other time, she hadn’t wanted the dream to end because somehow she knew. She knew that once it ended, that reality would no longer be hers. Waking up and leaving the dream behind this morning, in particular, was an wholly miserable experience. She’d made it into the shower before tears began to roll silently down her cheeks as she cried for everyone she loved and lost.

Alex was waiting in the kitchen with donuts and coffee when she got out of the shower, as if she’d known, and Kara gratefully gave her an extra long hug and asked how Sam, Julia, and Grace were doing as she bit into a chocolate creme-filled donut. When she tried to casually mention that she would be at CatCo all day working on her story, Alex hadn’t pressed, just gave her a knowing look and squeezed her hand. It was better this way, she told herself, as their last goodbye slowly, and painfully, replayed in her mind. He’d moved on and built a life in the future, a future where he was needed.

The insistent buzz of her phone broke through her thoughts. She frowned when she saw that the incoming message was from an odd number and had some kind of audio file attached. Having gotten anonymous tips on a rare occasion before, she picked up a pen and slid a notepad closer just in case as she opened the file and pressed the phone to her ear.

“Kara, it’s me...”

The pen in her fingers snapped in half. His voice washed over her like a waterfall and burned through her like wildfire, flooding her with warmth and igniting every nerve ending. The world tilted slightly and she leaned forward to rest her elbows on the desk, trying to steady herself, as tears swam in her eyes. Her free hand covered her mouth to stifle a sob as he went on.

“I, umm, I broke the marriage off with Imra and I’m going to find another way to keep the alliance. But that’s...I just...I wanted to thank you again. I meant what I said to you weeks ago. That I’m committed to being the hero you’ve taught me to be...even through the impossible decisions, just like you. You’ve always been the strongest, bravest person I know...”

The world around her was full on spinning now. This had to be some kind of dream and she would wake up any second now at her desk with James shaking her shoulder and chastising her for working herself to exhaustion. She hadn’t solar flared, but fighting the Worldkillers the last couple of days had certainly taken its toll on her.

“You remember our first kiss? I thought I was dying and I’d never see you again. Rao, I’d give anything to kiss you one more time. You are everything good in me, Kara. And I love you.”

Everything screeched to a halt with those last three words. He loved her. He _loved_ her. _No, silly, he said it in present tense_ , some small, still coherent part of her mind corrected. _He loves me_ , Kara repeated in stunned silence. _He still loves me._

She realized that the audio had stopped and she played it again, wanting to make sure that she’d heard it correctly. To make sure that it was real. It was hearing what was beyond his words that finally convinced her. The choked back sobs, the stuttering breaths, the long pauses where she could almost see him trying to reign in his emotions. She stared at her phone for a long moment through blurred vision after the recording finished for the second time.

The silent reminder in the back of her mind that he was leaving was what caused her to finally spring into action. Dropping her phone on the desk, she jumped up from her chair, heading for the roof. She didn’t even glance towards the elevator, just pushed her way past the back stairwell door and almost flew up the stairs. Quickly changing into her Supergirl suit once she reached the roof, she launched herself into the clear blue sky towards the DEO. His message replayed in her head, urging her on, and she couldn’t believe that she’d ever thought letting him leave without saying goodbye was a good idea. As painful as it may be, she knew now that the thought of not seeing him one last time or feeling the warmth of his arms around her was far worse.

She hit the balcony a moment later, stumbling a bit through a less than graceful landing, and catching the attention of several nearby DEO agents, as well as Alex who looked up in surprise from where she was entering some information into the database.

“Supergirl!”

“Where is he, Alex?” Kara gasped hoarsely, almost tripping down the stairs. She vaguely noted that she must look like a mess with red eyes and windblown hair, but couldn’t find it in herself to care at the present moment.

Alex rushed forward and caught her arms, steering her to the side, her eyes wide and skin pale. She looked devastated. “Kara...they left just a few minutes ago. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Kara stared at her sister, slowly shaking her head. “No...,” she whispered brokenly, a sob getting stuck in her throat. “I should’ve been here,” she choked out. Alex reached for her and Kara let herself fall into her arms, clutching at the fabric of Alex’s DEO shirt. “I should’ve been here, Alex,” she whimpered, tears streaming freely down her face. “I didn’t tell him.”

“He knows, Kara. I promise, he knows,” Alex reassured her, her own voice thick with emotion. “Trust me, okay?”

Kara nodded mutely against her shoulder and held her tighter, desperately wishing that she could actually feel Alex’s arms around her and her hand smoothing her hair, rather than the phantom sensations she’d had to grow accustomed to over the years. It was a minute or two before Kara pulled away and Alex gingerly wiped at her cheeks.

“He wanted to give me your necklace,” Alex said softly, her own eyes wet. “I told him you would want him to hold on to it...to keep him safe.”

A fierce sense of love for her sister ran through her in that moment and another wet trail appeared on her face as Kara nodded, managing a small, but genuine, smile. “Thank you, Alex,” she murmured, squeezing her hands.

“Kara!” Winn rushed up to them, a little out of breath and concern splashed across his face. He instantly threw his arms around her. “I’m so sorry, I was in the lab and Demos told me you came in...I’m sorry I-”

“It’s okay, Winn,” Kara replied gently, hugging him back. “Thank you for-”

There was a sudden gust of air from the balcony behind Kara, followed by the familiar sound of a cape and feet softly finding the floor. In the split second before she turned around, Kara heard Winn let out a surprised shriek and saw Alex’s jaw drop, and then she felt her own drop as well as the sight behind her came into view. If it weren’t for Alex, Winn, and the handful of confused DEO agents standing up from their stations, she would’ve been inclined to think she was hallucinating because there was no way the sight in front of her was real. He stood tall at the top of the stairs, still wearing his suit with the long cape fluttering slightly in the breeze from the balcony, and his eyes widened when their gazes locked. “Hi,” he breathed, and she heard it clear as day even though he was still more than twenty feet away.

She tried to respond, but the words stuck in her throat and all that emerged was a strangled cry. It felt as if time were passing in slow motion as he made his way down the stairs and towards her, still holding her gaze. Kara faintly heard Alex’s concerned voice break through.

“Mon-El? What-how did you come back? Is there something wrong in the future?”

He stopped in front of her, just a few steps away, and gave her a dizzying smile before breaking eye contact to look around at everyone else.

“Turns out we did change the future for the better by defeating the Worldkillers. Everything was...different when we got back.” Mon-El brought his hand up, exposing a small device that had been tucked away in his palm. He pressed his thumb to a small scanner on the side and a hologram of Brainy bearing the faintest hint of a smile popped up.

“Greetings, Supergirl. Upon our arrival back to the 31st century, we discovered that your defeat of the Worldkillers in the 21st century led to a brighter future - one at peace, one where the Blight never occurred, and one where many of our previously fallen comrades are still alive. Any tension between the planets is mediated by the Legion and Mon-El and Imra’s marriage no longer exists as our alliance stands strong through the Council and its representatives. As such, the Legion came to the unanimous decision that Mon-El returning to the 21st century to be with his family and the woman he loves ensures a better future for us all. Thank you, Supergirl. The Legion, the Council, and the entire future is in your debt.”

There was a moment of stunned silence across the DEO after the message ended and then the silence erupted into cheers. Kara simply stared at Mon-El in shock, desperately trying to process everything that was happening. Her right hand trembled as she lifted it to graze his bearded jaw, the affirming contact sending a jolt of electricity through her.

“Do you still mean what you said?” Kara whispered, her eyes glued to his, thinking of his message to her before he left. For a second, she thought he didn’t hear her over the sound of chatter around them, but then he nodded slightly.

“Every word,” he replied, his voice husky.

Fresh tears spilled down Kara’s cheeks, but this time it was tears of happiness as relief flooded over her. Cupping his cheeks, she surged up and pressed her lips to his. She faintly heard the DEO agents around them burst into a fresh round of applause and plenty of whistles, but it was quickly drowned out by the sound of her heart drumming to the same quick beat as Mon-El’s. All of the pain and love she’d felt in the past year poured into the kiss and Mon-El responded likewise, kissing her like she was oxygen itself. The salt of their tears mixed with the taste of his lips and the rough scratch of his beard against her skin was unfamiliar, but Kara didn’t care. He was here. He was real. She felt his hands press into the small of her back underneath her cape, holding her close, while hers slipped over his cheeks until her fingertips found the silky hair at the nape of his neck above the collar of his suit. They separated a fraction of an inch for air and she felt him nose her cheek as she breathed a soft “I love you” against his lips, knowing he was smiling even with her eyes closed. They rested their foreheads together for a moment, Kara enjoying every second of being in his arms again, until she forced herself to open her eyes and pull away when she remembered where they were. She instantly flushed bright red at the sight around them. Alex and Winn were beaming proudly and crying, arms slung around each others shoulders. About a dozen agents were still clapping enthusiatically and J’onn had appeared and was standing off to one side, a warm and rare smile causing the corners of his eyes to crinkle as Kara met his gaze.

When Kara looked at Mon-El again, he was grinning unabashedly and a light she hadn’t seen in a long time danced in his silver eyes. Feeling self-conscious, she cleared her throat and her arms fell to her sides while his hands slipped from her waist, as though he silently understood her need to regain her composure. As much as she hated the loss of contact, she was grateful that it momentarily suppressed her desire to grab his jaw again and kiss him until their lips went numb, audience be damned.

“Okay, back to work!” J’onn bellowed, scattering the crowd of agents as he strode over to them. Kara swore she saw money changing hands between Dana and several other agents before they dispersed to their stations.

“I’m happy as much as anyone that you two have figured things out, but is this going to be a problem?” J’onn asked sternly with his hands on his hips, although a hint of a smile still showed on his face.

Kara blushed and resisted the urge to hide in her cape. “Sorry, it won’t happen again. Sir.”

Mon-El nodded in agreement, trying to bite back his grin, until Kara elbowed him in the side. “Yes, sir. I mean, no, sir,” he coughed.

J’onn cocked an eyebrow at them in amusement. “Good. I expect to see you both over for dinner tonight to celebrate,” he said in a low voice so that only they could hear. “I should get that pile of paperwork on my desk finished then.” He laid a firm hand on Mon-El’s shoulder. “Welcome home, son.”

The look of pure happiness on Mon-El’s face in that moment was one Kara didn’t think she’d ever forget. As soon as J’onn walked away, Kara and Mon-El were eagerly crowded by Winn and Alex who took turns hugging them both. Kara hugged her sister probably a little tighter than she should have, but Alex didn’t mention it, just planted a kiss on her hair and whispered how happy she was for them. Over Alex’s shoulder, Kara saw Mon-El actually pick Winn up and spin him around as they both laughed. As Kara shared a brief hug with Winn, she heard Alex ask Mon-El about what he’d come back with.

“Yeah, did the Legion drop you off?” Winn asked, slinging an arm around Kara’s shoulders.

“Kara’s pod,” Mon-El replied with a smile, looking her way. “I landed just outside the city and then flew here.”

Alex raised her eyebrows at him. “Are you telling me you just left an alien pod somewhere out there in the open?”

Mon-El laughed. “Relax, Alex. It has cloaking technology now, courtesy of an upgrade from the future. It’s safe and the DEO can pick it up anytime.”

“Cloaking technology?!”

“Oh boy, now you’ve really done it,” Alex snorted as Winn practically bounced on his feet.

“I get dibs!” the tech genius shouted, bounding off in the direction of J’onn’s office probably to tell him that Kara’s pod needed to be recovered as soon as possible for the sake of science. The remaining three of them laughed, shaking their heads, as they watched him go.

“Agent Danvers,” Vasquez called out, interrupting their laughter. “There’s a call for you.”

Alex nodded towards Vasquez before turning back to them with a sigh. “Duty calls.”

“I should go too,” Kara added, checking the time. “My article isn’t going to write itself.”

“Hey,” Alex began slowly, giving Mon-El a knowing smile, “now that Mon-El is home, why don’t you interview him for your article? You know, have another source and let National City know that there’s permanantly another hero in town.”

Kara’s face lit up at the suggestion and both women looked hopefully at Mon-El who scratched his jaw, seeming both surprised and uncertain. “I don’t know...”

“Please?” Kara asked sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes.

Mon-El groaned. “Well, when you look at me like that...”

“Looks like I’m done here,” Alex snickered. “I’ll see you two lovebirds later.” She gave Kara’s hand one more squeeze and patted Mon-El’s shoulder.

“So you’ll do it?” Kara asked excitedly, once Alex had walked off to pick up her awaiting call. The reporter in her was already celebrating at the thought of getting the exclusive scoop from the newest hero in town.

“I guess,” Mon-El replied with an exaggerated sigh, earning himself a playful shove.

“Race you to CatCo,” Kara smirked over her shoulder, starting to walk in the direction of the balcony. Not a moment later, they were soaring through the midafternoon sky over National City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated! 
> 
> More fluff is coming.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 8.5k words of hopefully-not-too-cheesy ridiculous fluff and Karamel just hugging each other, cause they're both touch starved, goddammit
> 
> OR
> 
> the chapter in which Eve brings up the past, Kara gets a surprise, and Kara and Mon-El are on an emotional roller coaster as they try to start processing months/years of repressed emotion...plus something very significant happens ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've made y'all wait almost 4 months for this, but I hope it's worth it and that y'all laugh and cry like I did while writing/editing this a million times over!!

Warm sunlight touched every corner of National City from the skyscrapers with glittering windows to the sprawling neighborhoods to the parks where the trees swayed in the breeze. The air itself seemed to buzz with a fresh energy as Kara landed on CatCo’s roof first and quickly changed back into her normal clothes just as Mon-El landed behind her a second later.

“I’m pretty sure you got a head start,” Mon-El quipped with no bite in his voice, striding towards her.

“You can have a head start next time. But I’ll still win,” she replied smugly, smoothing her shirt down. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and slid her glasses onto the bridge of her nose, sealing her alter identity. “Let me grab some things and I’ll be right back, okay?”

Mon-El nodded, crossing his arms over his broad chest and clearing his throat. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Those words set her heart aflutter and made her smile stretch wider as she bounded down the stairs and hurried to her desk, almost running into Eve along the way. She caught herself just in time and squeaked out an apology.

The petite assistant quickly brushed it off with a smile. “No worries! Hey, James was looking for you just a few minutes ago. I think he wanted to know where you are on your article.”

“I-uh-I’m working on it. I’ll be sure to have it to him as soon as I can.”

“Great!” Eve paused for a moment before giving her a long look and asking, “Are you okay, Kara?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” Kara replied instantly.

“You just seem...different than you were earlier today.” Eve chuckled. “In a good way. You look really happy.”

A shy smile accompanied the slight flush on Kara’s face. Happy felt like an understatement. She hesitated for a second, wondering if she should tell Eve who was looking at her expectantly, and finally reasoned that she would find out sooner or later anyway. “Yeah, umm, Mike just moved back into town an-”

Eve’s squeal could’ve rivaled the building’s fire alarm as she enthusiastically wrapped Kara in a hug that she swore she actually felt for a second.

Before Kara could even catch her breath, Eve gasped and pulled back. “Wait! You guys _are_ back together, right?”

“Well, umm-” Kara started, a little flustered, “I-I guess, I mean, we still need to talk and-”

Eve seemed to sigh in relief and muttered something that sounded a lot like “oblivious idiots” under her breath. “Well, be sure to tell him I said hello,” Eve said, winking. “I should let you get to your article, but let’s get lunch next week. I’d love to catch up and hear what Mike’s been up to in South America.”

“Sounds great,” Kara answered with a nervous laugh, groaning inwardly as her energetic friend scampered off, leaving her to turn to her desk where her laptop sat still open, abstract shapes bouncing around on the screensaver. She’d almost forgotten about what she’d told Eve last year and just the thought of talking her way out of another lie with more lies was exhausting. The broken pen caught her eye as she sighed, and her lips curled into a small smile before she tossed it into the trash. She picked up a notepad and a fresh pen, along with her phone and headed back up to the roof, shooting James a quick text on her way.

She found Mon-El staring out over National City, and allowed herself the approximately 3.4 seconds it took to walk over to appreciate the sight of him in that spectacular suit, after which she forced herself to broach the embarrassing subject currently on her mind.

“Eve says hello,” she began, coming to stand beside him.

Mon-El turned towards her and smiled. “How is she?”

“Good-she’s good. She’s really done an amazing job these past few months. James wouldn’t have survived without her,” Kara laughed. “I, uhh, I hope you don’t mind that I told her that you’re back. We’re probably going to have lunch next week. You should come. Only if you want, that is,” she rambled nervously, cringing and casting a sideways glance at him. “She may or may not think that you moved to South America last year.”

“Wait _, what?_”

“I’m sorry, I panicked!” Kara whined, smacking her notepad to her face to hide her embarrassment. “She totally didn’t buy that we broke up last year and she kept asking questions. It made more sense in my head at the time.”

She’d tried to keep the explanation simple at first for anyone who asked, saying that Mon-El had gotten a new job and had to move away so they decided to break up amicably, but Eve had been unsatisfied. _“You two are crazy about each other! If anyone can make long-distance work, it’s you. Besides, this is the 21 st century. There’s cell phones and Skype and FaceTime and a million other ways to communicate.” _Eve’s persistence had pushed Kara to improvise her explanation on the spot.

Mon-El burst into laughter and Kara peeked up at him, unable to keep herself from smiling at the sound. “You are really something else, Kara,” he chuckled. “What exactly did you tell her I was doing in South America?”

“Saving the Amazon rainforest.”

“Oh, Rao.”

“It wasn’t my finest moment,” Kara admitted meekly. In retrospect, the morning news from that day was really to blame. The anchorwoman had mentioned the new deforestation law the Brazilian government had just passed, calling it _“a step forward in protecting the Amazon rainforest that provides twenty percent of the world’s oxygen_ , _”_ and for whatever reason, her subconscious had decided to store the information only to use it later when she found herself sputtering in front of Eve and grasping for an excuse as to why Mon-El _had_ to leave (saving the Amazon rainforest was important work) and why communication wasn’t possible (no telephone lines in the middle of the rainforest).

Right now, her flaming cheeks were desperate for a change in subject. “But we can discuss that later. So, ready for your first interview?”

Mon-El grinned at her less than subtle segue, but played along, taking a deep breath. “I feel nervous. Should I be nervous?”

Kara patted his shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t worry, at least your first interview isn’t with Cat Grant like mine was. I still cringe every time I think about it.” She held up her phone. “But I will be recording you for official purposes so-”

“Don’t say anything incriminating?” Mon-El guessed.

“Something like that,” Kara answered with a short laugh and tucked a stray piece of hair waving in the breeze behind her ear. “Okay, let’s get started.” She set her phone to start recording and clicked her pen.

“So-” she stopped short and frowned, before pressing pause. “What’s your superhero name? I can’t believe I didn’t ask you this before.”

Mon-El shrugged. “I don’t have one. I just went by Mon-El in the future. Not everyone approved of course, but aliens lived in the open with everyone else. And the Legion was no secret.”

“But Imra and Brainy still had superhero names. How come you didn’t?”

“Well, Superman was already taken,” Mon-El replied cheekily before shrugging again. “I could never really think of one that seemed right, I guess. You can pick one for me if you want,” he said, looking at her fondly. “I think it’s only fitting after all.”

“Really?” Genuine surprise filled her, quickly marred with slight apprehension at the the realization of the gravity of naming a superhero. “What if you don’t like it?” She briefly remembered the way she’d balked at Cat naming her Supergirl years ago and how it wasn’t until later that she fully accepted the moniker.

“I trust your judgement,” Mon-El answered firmly. “Unless you name me Superboy in which case I will never forgive you,” he added quickly, an eyebrow raised, and they both dissolved into laughter.

“Fair enough,” Kara agreed once she managed to catch her breath. “Not Superboy.”

They fell into a familiar camaraderie as she proceeded with the interview and she found herself drawn in by Mon-El’s warm voice and admiring how much he’d grown as a leader in seven years. He was certainly more poised than she had been during her first interview.

Though Kara maintained that defeating the Worldkillers was a team effort, Mon-El didn’t hesitate to praise Supergirl for ultimately saving the day, and she was sure she blushed her way through at least half of the questions. His answers were succinct, but eloquent, and she scribbled a note at the top of her notepad to talk to James about getting Mon-El a proper CatCo exposé to formally introduce him to the people of National City.

Having just a handful of questions meant to corroborate Supergirl’s story, the interview didn’t take more than fifteen minutes and Kara found herself ending the recording a bit wistfully. “Well, I guess that’s it.”

Mon-El let out a long breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “Was that okay?”

“That was perfect,” Kara assured him with a smile and impulsively reached up to peck his cheek. “I’m really proud of you, Mon-El.”

A rosy pink tinted his cheeks and he ducked his head, suddenly looking shy. “I should, uh, I should go then,” Mon-El said after a moment, rubbing his jaw. “I need to do something before we go to J’onn’s tonight. I’ll see you there?”

“Yeah, I’ll see you there,” Kara echoed, beaming as she adjusted her glasses and tried to keep her heart from jumping straight out of her chest. Mon-El gave her one more lopsided grin as he took a step back before taking off into the sky, his cape snapping in the wind.

 

~

 

“So, did you get your article finished?” Alex asked, coming up next to Kara later that evening, just moments after she’d finally arrived, and throwing an arm around her shoulders. Dinner was in full swing already, with almost the whole gang sprawled about J’onn’s living room, save James who had promised Lena a date tonight.

Kara set down the bottle of club soda she’d grabbed from her apartment prior to making her way over. “Yes-well, almost. Mon-El needs a superhero name.” She glanced up, her eyes finding him across the room on the couch next to Winn, likely talking about technology in the future judging by Winn’s animated face.

“How about-”

“I’m not naming him Superboy,” Kara cut in, rolling her eyes at Alex.

“Wasted opportunity,” Alex sighed, shaking her head with a grin, not even bothering to deny that that’s what she was going to say. “Such a shame. Could you imagine the headlines?”

“The answer’s still no,” Kara said as she piled several slices of Hawaiian pizza onto a plate next to a generous serving of J’onn’s spicy mac’n’cheese. Her stomach rumbled at the smell of food, reminding her again that she hadn’t eaten a proper meal all day.

Alex grabbed two breadsticks from the tray, taking a bite out of one and dropping the other onto Kara’s plate. “You thought about synonyms for ‘super?’”

“I spent fifteen minutes doing that and I got nowhere,” Kara groaned. “I have to come up with something by tomorrow and nothing sounds right.”

“You’ll think of something, you always do,” Alex reassured her after swallowing. “But if all else fails, there’s always Superboy,” she added with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

Kara threw her sister a half-hearted glare and walked over to the living room where everyone else was assembled. Winn and M’yrnn were now engaged in a passionate conversation about Star Wars, with Mon-El interjecting occasionally and J’onn just looking on, amused, as he munched on a large cookie.

“So this is what you needed to do earlier?” Kara asked Mon-El, nodding towards the almost overflowing platter of his homemade chocolate chip cookies sitting in the middle of the coffee table as she stepped over Winn’s outstretched legs to sit down on the couch.

“Yeah, Alex helped me out and let me use her oven,” he replied before taking another bite of his pizza. He had changed into jeans like everyone else and one of his old plaid shirts that must’ve been left in his locker at the DEO. It was a welcome familiar sight and Kara felt her heart swell with the simple _rightness_ of it.

“You should’ve seen J’onn’s face. I swear it was like a kid at Christmas. I’m just glad you remembered how to use an oven and didn’t burn my apartment down,” Alex teased as she sauntered over, having grabbed another slice of pepperoni pizza in her hand, her other still holding her half-eaten breadstick. She squeezed in on the couch and Kara instinctively moved closer to Mon-El to create more room. A sudden thrill ran through her blood as her side pressed increasingly against his and she focused on shoveling mac’n’cheese into her mouth and trying to ignore her heightened senses. After not feeling his touch and warmth for so long, even the slightest contact was causing her nerve endings to explode like a Fourth of July fireworks show. It was sensory overload, all too much but somehow still not enough.

Mon-El casually draped an arm behind her on the couch, his fingertips just grazing her shoulder, and grinned at Alex on the other side. “I believe the phrase is ‘just like riding a bike.’”

Alex snorted. “You don’t even know how to ride a bike.”

“Being able to fly does have its perks, but maybe I can finally get James to teach me anyway,” Mon-El mused all too innocently.

“No!” both Kara and Alex blurted at the same time, mouths half full. A quick, wide-eyed glance between them confirmed that they were both thinking of all the mishaps and mayhem that would likely ensue.

Mon-El pouted adorably, pretending to be offended, and it was all Kara could do to not reach up and kiss him right there.

“Nothing beats flying anyway,” she reassured him, taking another bite and smiling to herself, thinking of them soaring across the sky together in their suits. He grinned at her, as if he read her mind, and tossed a forlorn piece of pineapple into his mouth from the plate in his lap.

Conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door and everyone fell silent, though strangely, no one made a move to get up and answer the door.

“Can you get the door, Kara?” J’onn asked calmly after a second.

Kara gave him a quizzical look, before glancing around at everyone else who was only half trying to maintain a poker face. She slowly set her plate down on the coffee table and stood up, swallowing her mouthful of cheesy macaroni. “Why are you guys being so weird?” she muttered. Even M’yrnn appeared to be fighting off a smile.

Feeling just a bit perplexed, she strode to the door, not even bothering to take the time to use her x-ray vision. The thought to dig her glasses out from her purse in case her alter identity was needed fleetingly occurred to her in the second it took for her to yank the door open, then disappeared completely as her cousin and adoptive mother stared back, breaking into wide smiles at the sight of her.

“Clark? Eliza?”

“Surprise.”

“Hi, sweetheart.”

“I-what are you-how-,” Kara sputtered until Clark laughed and stepped forward to hug her tightly. She pulled Eliza into the hug as well a moment later, before stepping back to let them in. Everyone seemed to burst into activity as soon as the door closed. Hugs, smiles, and handshakes were exchanged and laughter filled the apartment as official introductions were made for M’yrnn.

“Did you plan this?” Kara asked J’onn as she watched Eliza hug a bashful Mon-El while insisting he call her “Eliza, not Dr. Danvers.”

“It was really Alex,” J’onn admitted. “I overheard her calling them yesterday after everything calmed down and she told me her plan to have a family reunion of sorts. I just agreed to host dinner.”

A lump rose in her throat and she blinked back tears as she realized Alex had planned this _yesterday_ , wanting her sister to be surrounded by as many of her loved ones as possible, not knowing that Mon-El would come back after leaving. Kara squeezed his shoulder. “Thank you, J’onn.”

“Of course.” He smiled warmly and Kara had never felt more grateful for the way he’d taken her and Alex under his wing.

“So what has my favorite cousin been up to lately?” Clark asked coming up to them, multiple slices of pizza already stacked on the plate in his hand. “By the way, this is a nice place you’ve got here, J’onn. You and your father seem to be doing well. I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you,” J’onn replied with a small and rare smile at the Kryptonian.

Kara watched the brief exchange, unable to keep her lips from quirking upwards, and bumped Clark’s shoulder. “Hey, you do know I’m your only cousin, right?”

“That’s why you’ll always be my favorite,” Clark answered with a wink though his expression quickly shifted to serious. “I really am sorry that I couldn’t be here to help you, Kara. But I did hear that the Champion of Earth did just fine in taking down three Worldkillers by herself.”

“It wasn’t that hard,” she joked. She met J’onn’s eyes briefly before looking back up at Clark. “I didn’t do it by myself though. Seriously, Clark. You have your own life in Metropolis and I have mine here in National City, and that’s okay. I don’t expect you to come running every time something goes wrong here. You have to trust me to figure things out.”

“And I do. But that doesn’t mean I won’t worry sometimes,” Clark said with a sigh. He glanced at J’onn. “And I’m very happy you have people here to watch your back regardless.”

“Me too,” Kara replied, her gaze sweeping over her friends and family. “But don’t get me wrong, I do love it when you visit,” she added.

Clark grinned and reached out to wrap his arm around her in a quick hug. “Me too, Kara. Me too.”

“How long are you staying?”

“I’m going to fly back to Metropolis tonight, but I’d like to come back next week, if that’s okay with you. Maybe get dinner - just you, Mon-El, and I. I think it’s past time that I got to know him better,” Clark answered.

“I would love that,” Kara replied, returning his warm smile.

They opted to move to the couch to continue conversation while eating and everyone else soon gravitated back to the living room after them. Winn happily took the seat on the other side of Clark and offered him a beer, and after bringing over two glasses of club soda, Mon-El settled back in on Kara’s left. J’onn ended up sandwiched between his father and Eliza, and Alex pulled over a chair from the table to sit.

“Now that we’re all here, I’d like to propose a toast,” Alex spoke up, raising her glass of lemonade. “To National City’s heroes. And to Kara and Mon-El.” She looked at Mon-El and grinned. “Welcome home.”

There was a chorus of “Cheers!” and “I’ll drink to that!” and Kara briefly leaned her head on Mon-El’s shoulder, smiling as she felt him press his lips to her hair. Looking around at her family, a wave of what she could only describe as blissful peace washed over her and she felt full and happy for the first time in months.

“Can I-can I say something?” Kara’s voice broke through the clamor, a little tentative.

“Speech! Speech!” Winn hollered until Alex shot him a glare. Everyone laughed but quickly quieted down and turned their attention to Kara who took a deep breath before beginning to speak.

“I’ve struggled a lot in the past year, not just with Mon-El having to leave, but who I am. My identity here on Earth. I thought I had to choose between Kara Danvers and Supergirl.” She paused, shaking her head ruefully. “I didn’t realize that I had it all wrong. I tried being just Kara Danvers for most of my life to protect the people I love and then just Supergirl because I...it was easier to push everything down that way. And I lost sight of who I really am...Kara Zor-El. I can’t be just Kara Danvers or Supergirl. What makes me _me_ is Kara Zor-El, an alien refugee with a tragic past, but a hopeful future. I know that now. And I’m so lucky that I have a family here with whom I don’t have to wear a mask or pretend to be normal. You know and accept me for who I really am. So, thank you.”

There was a moment of silence as Kara finished, biting her lip and feeling a little self-conscious, and then the silence was broken by a loud sniffle.

“Are you crying?” Clark asked, turning to Winn.

“No,” Winn replied thickly, blinking furiously. “I just have something in my eye.”

Chuckles rippled through the room, though Winn was hardly the only one with tears in his eyes.

“Son,” J’onn spoke up gently, looking at Mon-El, “anything you’d like to say?”

There was silence as Mon-El stared at J’onn, swallowing hard, then looked around at everyone with a small smile. “Well, I can’t top Kara’s speech,” he began, his voice a little hoarse, “but I’ve missed you all more than you know and it’s really, really good to be home.”

Kara slipped her hand into his, squeezing tightly because she could, her heart feeling entirely too big for her chest.

Alex sniffled and tried to cover it up with a cough as she attempted to subtly dab at her eyes. “Well then, to family,” she said, lifting her glass once more.

“To family,” everyone echoed with bright eyes and even brighter smiles.

The smiles and laughter only continued as the rest of the evening flew by. After Clark made the honest mistake of asking about the final stand-off with the Worldkillers, Winn drunkenly launched into a dramatic retelling of the events in an English accent that left everyone howling in laughter and clutching their sides. Kara was getting one more slice of pizza when she overheard Mon-El ask Eliza for her chocolate pecan pie recipe and she couldn’t stop grinning for five minutes straight until Alex asked her if she was drunk. When she told her sister what she overheard, Alex just smirked and leaned in to say, “Maybe Mom can start bringing _my_ favorite pie to Thanksgiving now,” earning herself a light shove from Kara. Alex laughed and threw a breadstick at her in retaliation, but before a full-blown food fight could erupt, J’onn walked around the corner, giving them a fatherly look of mild disapproval that was so endearing, they both dissolved into giggles.

“If you two are done throwing food at each other, I could use your help cleaning up,” J’onn interrupted dryly, just barely hiding his smile.

Kara and Alex shared a quick look. “Yes, Dad,” they responded in unison, grinning.

The table was quickly cleared off with a last call for anyone wanting food and dirty dishes were loaded into the dishwasher.

“Both of you, take this weekend off. No alien business,” J’onn said after seeing Alex yawn as she wiped her hands on a towel. “Eliza’s in town until Sunday night, Mon-El is back, and I’ll be taking my father to see the new exhibit at the museum tomorrow night. I say we all deserve a little break.”

“Thanks, J’onn. And thank you for this, Alex,” Kara said softly, turning to her sister. “J’onn told me that you had it planned since yesterday. It means a lot.”

Alex smiled gently in understanding as she looped her arm around Kara’s neck. “What else are sisters for?” She glanced at the time and tugged Kara towards the living room. “Okay, I’m ready to sleep for about five years so let’s get these rascals out of J’onn’s hair.”

Seeing Kara heading over, Mon-El stood up from the couch, a thoughtful look on his face. “So, listen-”

“Mon-El, I swear to Rao, if you’re going to say that you’re sleeping at the DEO tonight...”

His slightly surprised expression shifted into a wide grin and he let out a chuckle, reaching out to take her hand. “I was just going to say that M’yrnn invited me to go to the museum tomorrow night with him and J’onn, so you should have a girls night with Alex and Eliza, if you want.”

“Oh.” Her face broke into a smile and she wove her fingers through his. “Yeah, that sounds great.”

“A girls night happens to be just what the doctor ordered,” Eliza said, beaming at her daughters.

“Ha! I get it. Cause you’re a doctor,” Winn’s voice came from behind them where he was still slouched down on the couch next to Clark.

Alex made a noise somewhere between a groan and a sigh as everyone else stifled their laughter. “Guess it’s settled then,” she declared. “Okay, Winn. Time to get your drunk ass home.”

“I’m not drunk,” Winn protested as he lurched to his feet. “See? I’m fine.” He shuffled over to Kara and Mon-El, slinging his arms around their shoulders and giving them a dopey smile. “I’m so happy my best friends are happy,” he slurred slightly. “I love you guys. So much.”

They both chuckled and Mon-El patted Winn’s head where it rested on his shoulder. “Love you too, buddy.”

“What am I? Chopped liver?” Alex scoffed, grabbing her keys.

“No, you’re Alex,” Winn stated matter-of-factly before turning to hug Clark.

Goodbyes were said and promises of “see you tomorrow” or “see you next week” were made, and one more round of hugs later, everyone was filtering through the door and calling “good night” to J’onn and M’yrnn until they were out of sight.

 

~

 

It wasn’t long until Kara and Mon-El found themselves in front of her apartment. They had decided to fly, forgoing the twenty minute walk through the busy Friday night streets. A thin sheet of clouds was passing rapidly over the city, covering the night sky and obscuring the light of the moon, hiding them from view in the darkness.

Kara felt strangely nervous as she fumbled with the key, finally managing to get the door open and flipping on the lights. It was the usual somber familiarity she’d grown accustomed to over the past year that greeted her - everything in its place with her laptop on the table where she’d placed it earlier before heading to J’onn’s and the box of donuts leftover from this morning on the counter - but now accompanied by a sharp wave of memories of morning kisses against the refrigerator, pop culture debates over home-cooked meals, and sleepy cuddles on the couch. It was all a sudden reminder that just this morning, she thought she’d lost Mon-El again forever.

Standing in the calm of her apartment, the weight of the emotional turmoil of the day caught up to her and she turned to Mon-El, heaving a shaky sigh as tears sprung in her eyes.

“Kara,” he started softly, taking a a step towards her, clearly sensing her distress as he always did.

A step of her own was all it took to wordlessly wrap her arms around his waist and rest her head on his chest. His arms came up to envelop her, his heartbeat thumping to a comforting rhythm in her ears, and ultimately, that’s what shattered her resolve.

“I thought I’d lost you again,” Kara cried hoarsely against his shirt, tears streaming unbidden down her face. The reality of having him home again in her arms was overwhelming and her heart felt heavy with the burden of months-long repressed emotion.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head and holding her tighter. “I’m here now, Kara. I’m here.”

She heard his voice crack and clutched at his shirt that smelled like cookie dough, his touch and warmth grounding her and reminding her that this wasn’t a dream. One of his hands combed through her hair soothingly and the other slowly ran up and down her back, his touch gentle. They stayed that way for a long time, Kara melting into him, physical exhaustion finally starting to creep in as her tears dried and breathing slowed.

“It’s been a long day,” she mumbled apologetically into the cotton of his plaid button-down, still unwilling to pull away from him.

Mon-El pressed another kiss to her hair. “Then we should probably get some sleep. Do you have some clothes I could change into?”

“I still have the clothes you kept here,” Kara replied quietly, too embarrassed to admit that she’d worn his shirts sometimes when she just wanted to feel close to him. Reluctantly stepping back, she wiped at her face with the back of her hand, giving Mon-El a tentative smile. “They’re still in the dresser.”

Mon-El nodded, his hand slipping from her waist. “Before I forget, there’s something I need to give you,” he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the small device she’d seen earlier at the DEO. “Imra asked me to pass on a message to you. I’ll go change and give you a minute.”

Everything came rushing back and a sudden chill swept over her and settled into her bones as Kara took the device mutely, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. She couldn’t believe she’d been so naive. She’d been on cloud nine since Mon-El had shown back up at the DEO and then being with everyone at J’onn’s had felt so natural that it was easy to push everything else to the back of her mind. Even just a few minutes ago, she’d been so focused on herself, on her own relief of having him back in the apartment where they shared so many memories, that she’d neglected to consider his perspective. Here she was thinking that somehow everything would just go back to the way it was before he left, as if they hadn’t spent months - years - apart, as if he hadn’t created a whole separate life with a wife whom he loved.

“I’m sorry,” Kara blurted out, barely more than a whisper, her eyes squeezed shut as she rubbed her forehead.

Mon-El turned back to her, confusion on his face. “For what?” he asked slowly.

She forced herself to meet his eyes despite the pang of guilt in her chest, swallowed, and twisted her hands as it all came out like an avalanche. “I think I’ve maybe...gotten a little carried away. I was just so happy to see you again and I wasn’t-I wasn’t thinking...I know everything is still fresh for you...I-I mean, you were married for years to Imra and you loved her and here I am thinking everything would just go back to normal how it was before, but I’m not even sure what-”

“Kara, stop,” Mon-El interrupted her rambling and stilled her hands with his. “Just breathe for a second.”

Her shoulders sagged and she felt on the verge of tears again. “I’m sorry” she whispered again as she stared into Mon-El’s stormy grey eyes. Anxiety curled in the pit of her stomach, telling her that too much had changed, that the people they were before were gone now, taking with them the relationship they’d shared.

Mon-El closed the distance between them, hugging her close again, and she gladly slid her arms around his waist as he murmured words of comfort into her hair. She hadn’t realized until now just how starved she was for his affectionate touch. It was another minute or so before he pulled back to look at her.

His brow furrowed slightly, his hands trailing up and down her arms. “You don’t need to apologize, Kara. I’m just not sure I understand. Are you worried about the marriage? You know that it was just a symbolic union to prove to the Council that the Legion represented everyone. I told you I ended it in the message I left. Besides, we changed the future when the Worldkillers were defeated. It’s over.”

“But you loved her.” Her voice came out a little strained and when he didn’t speak up, she plowed on. “It’s-I don’t-” she sighed heavily, “just maybe we should slow down or wait a while until you...” she trailed off helplessly, not sure how to properly articulate her tangled web of feelings.

“You’re right.”

“What?”

Mon-El’s hands stopped about midway down her arms, his thumbs barely pressing into her biceps. “I did love her in a way. But I was never _in_ love with Imra. I cared about her, as I did for all the Legionnaires. We were friends,” he said softly, sadness dawning in his eyes briefly. He shook his head a little as if shaking off a memory before sliding his hands to her shoulders. “I never felt for Imra what I feel for you. It’s always just been you, Kara. No one else has even come close.”

“Are you-” the words stuck in her throat and she was sure her face was tomato red, “are you sure?” She felt silly for asking, but it was impossible to shove down the last shred of jealously at the fact that Imra had gotten to spend seven years with Mon-El. Seven years of fighting alongside him, seven years of seeing him everyday, seven years of being his friend, his partner, his wife.

Mon-El just smiled for a moment and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “I told her when we married that she was free to see other people, even if discretely since the Council - and her family - probably wouldn’t have been too happy if they found out. She agreed, and last I knew, she had this friends-with-benefits thing going on with Nura, one of the other Legionnaires.” He chuckled as Kara’s eyebrows shot up.

“Oh.”

“So, you see,” Mon-El started to say before leaning in until she could feel his breath on her lips, “there’s no reason to be jealous,” he murmured teasingly. He smirked and pecked her nose as Kara huffed an embarrassed laugh. His smirk faded into a soft, but serious, expression and his hands cupped her neck, fingers tangling in her blond waves. “Kara Zor-El, I need you to believe me when I say that I am fully and hopelessly in love with you. I want you, I want _us_ for the rest of our lives, however long they may be. I want to wake up with you, fight by your side, make you laugh...I want to hold you and kiss you and just... _talk_ to you...I want everything with you.”

Kara couldn’t help but laugh lightly at that, feeling the anxiety dissipate. “You’re such a romantic. I love you too,” she whispered. “I think I’m even more in love with you now and I didn’t know that was possible.” The palpable softness in his eyes unfurled the knots in her stomach as she covered his right hand with her own then took a deep breath and looked down at the device clutched in her other hand. “I guess I should listen to this.”

“And I’ll go change,” Mon-El said, giving her a tender kiss on the forehead and releasing her, before disappearing behind the wall into the bedroom. Kara sat down on the couch and after another second of hesitation, she pressed her thumb to the scanner on the side, a small hologram of Imra popping up.

“Hello, Kara. Umm, I-I wanted to say that I’m truly sorry...for all the pain the Legion-that I’ve caused. I hope that someday you can forgive me. And...thank you. Not just for helping us save the future from the Blight, but for helping to shape Mon-El into the man we all had the privilege of knowing. He brought the Legion together, all because of you, and for that I will always be grateful. He gave us the hope we needed in a dark time. He is a great leader and we should have trusted him with the truth long ago.” The brunette smiled a little sadly. “I wish you both a long life of happiness. You deserve it. I truly do admire both of you and I know without a doubt that the future I get to live in is better because of you.” With one last flicker, the hologram disappeared.

A long breath escaped her as she leaned her head back against the cushion. She thought back to that day when Mon-El had told her and the DEO that Imra and Brainy had been lying about what they intended to do in the 21st century. While he’d remained cool and objective as he’d briefed the DEO on the situation, it was easy to see how upset he was.

It wasn’t until later that she fully realized the implications behind the truth: that he could have used time travel to come back a long time ago if he had known. The realization had hit her like a punch to the stomach. Her pillow had muffled her sobs and soaked up her tears that night as she eventually fell into a troubled sleep, too tired to keep crying. She’d alternated between anger and trying to understand, telling herself that there must have been a reason for it all. Despite having seen how upset Mon-El was, she couldn’t bring herself to actually talk to him about it, chickening out at the slightest opportunity as his arranged marriage loomed like an ominous cloud, a reminder that he was going to have to return to the future anyway. So she pushed her feelings down and threw her focus into being the hero National City needed.

“You okay?” Mon-El’s warm voice broke through her thoughts as he walked over, now dressed in loose sweatpants and a t-shirt that was noticeably tighter on his form than she last remembered.

Kara pushed herself up from the couch to stand in front of him. “Yeah...just think-”

She stopped short when she saw a flash of familiar blue in Mon-El’s palm. He smiled at her stunned expression, and held the chain out delicately, the pendant twirling in the space between them.

“My necklace.”

“I, uhh, I hope it’s okay that Alex told me to hold on to it,” he began, a little unsure. “You gave it to me to keep me safe, and it meant everything to me all those years. This - you - it’s what kept me sane and gave me hope when there was none. And now it’s brought me safely back to you so it’s time that I returned it to the rightful owner.”

The stone was strangely warm underneath her fingertips when she grasped it and she smiled as her mother’s kind face flashed through her mind.

“Here, let me.” Mon-El said, moving behind her and helping her slide the chain around her neck. Kara pulled her hair aside and held her breath as his fingers brushed her skin until he stepped around to her front again.

“Beautiful,” Mon-El whispered, brushing his thumb along her cheekbone.

Kara caught his hand, turning her head slightly to kiss his palm. “Thank you,” she murmured, before pulling him closer and twining her arms around his neck. Feeling his arms band around her back in return and his nose bury into her hair set off a fresh surge of warmth that filled her from head to toe. She sighed happily and coincidentally felt Mon-El do the same as she pressed her lips to his neck, breathing in the scent of chocolate chips laced with the lingering faint muskiness of his old cologne and her laundry detergent.

They stood in silence for several minutes, wrapped up in each other, neither of them wanting to break the embrace. Kara absentmindedly traced patterns on his back as she rested her chin on his shoulder, her other hand drifting up into his hair out of habit. Sure enough, he burrowed into the crook of her neck even more, just like he used to, even after Kara had joked once that he was like a puppy that loved being petted. (He hadn’t denied it.)

She felt Mon-El squeeze her waist, his large hands curved around her sides, and smiled as her eyes closed and she let herself relax into him fully as they stood there in the middle of her living room, both taking comfort in the simplicity of touch, something so common to everyone else but too often so foreign to them. Tension ebbed from their limbs and with his torso pressed to hers, she felt every breath he took and every warm exhale on her neck.

“I missed this.” His voice was slightly muffled against her, but there was no mistaking the raw vulnerability in it.

Kara held him tighter and she felt him start rubbing her back, fingers trailing lightly up and down her spine.

“I missed holding you,” he added after another second, as if to clarify. His voice sounded so small and her heart stuttered at the thought of everything he’d gone through and kept buried inside to bring him to this moment, clutching at her as if she were his only lifeline.

“Me too. I want you to know,” Kara said after another moment of silence, “you can talk to me. About anything you need to, okay? All the years you spent in the future are a part of you now, and I want to know every part of you.”

“Okay,” he whispered after a long pause, nodding slightly against her shoulder. His head lifted a second later and he released a sigh, his eyes a little glassy, but brimming with unbridled affection. “Kara, I-”

Their gazes locked and her breath hitched as she witnessed his walls slowly start to come down, allowing her a glimpse of all the raw emotion he’d been keeping inside for so long.

He swallowed hard. “I’m...it’s a lot. Just be patient with me,” he pleaded softly.

Kara cupped his face and gave him a gentle smile. “I promise.” She tilted her head up slightly, brushing her nose against his, and her eyes were already closed when Mon-El leaned in the rest of the way and she melted into him as his soft lips met hers. At first it was sweet and chaste, lasting just a few seconds before he pulled back a fraction of an inch as if uncertain whether he should continue. Kara hummed in disapproval, tugging him back and slanting her mouth over his again. He let out a muffled chuckle at her eagerness and nipped at her bottom lip, his beard tickling her skin.

Whereas their kiss at the DEO had been all insistent passion, this was pure hazy happiness as they relearned one another and Kara found that she didn’t mind it one bit. Their teeth bumped together as uncontrollable grins stretched across their faces, laughing and breathing each other in until their lips met again tenderly. Mon-El’s right hand slipped to the nape of her neck, tangling in her curls, as he deepened the kiss and Kara sighed when he did something particularly nice with his tongue. His other hand held her closer at the waist while her fingers roamed from his hair to his jaw to his chest and back again, unable to stay long in one place. It was all intoxicating in the best way - his warm touch accompanied by the heat emanating from his chest, the way his mouth moved against hers and still knew how to leave her in a daze.

They parted moments later, both breathless and flushed. Mon-El’s eyes fluttered open slowly as Kara smiled, her fingertips grazing along his jaw, lingering near the corner of his kiss-stained lips. She couldn’t resist giving him another quick peck before nudging him towards the bed. “Let’s get some sleep because it’s been a long day and then tomorrow, I’m going to take you on a date.”

“Wow, what a gentleman.”

“Shut up,” Kara giggled, pinching his side. His teasing brought back the memory of that morning she’d brought him coffee and flowers, and she blushed as she remembered the events of the night prior to the morning. As much as she would like a repeat of that, she felt the sleepiness sweeping over her so it would have to wait.

Mon-El slipped into bed while Kara quickly washed up and then joined him after turning off the lights, leaving the loft bathed in soft moonlight pouring through the windows. They lay on their sides, a few inches apart, faint smiles and eyes tracing one another’s face.

“Hey, Kara?”

“Hmm?”

“You know, you can talk to me too.” Mon-El shifted his arm under his head, not breaking eye contact with her. “You told me about the nightmares months ago...and Alex may have mentioned some things.”

“I don’t get those dreams anymore,” she mumbled, suddenly finding the sheets intriguing.

“Maybe not, but there’s a reason that you ever had them in the first place.”

“I’m not even sure I know entirely what that reason is,” Kara said so softly it was barely audible. She wanted to laugh at how unconvincing she sounded in her own ears. She knew, she just hated thinking about it. The nightmares had started after Psi’s attacks and although she’d been able to calm herself down every time by reminding herself that it wasn’t real, the fear was still there, deeply rooted in the event that had changed the course of her entire life.

Mon-El smiled knowingly, raising his hand to brush a strand of hair away from her cheek, and she hesitantly met his gaze again. “We can figure it out together. If you want.”

Kara just stared at him for a second, caught in the soft glow of his eyes and the rush of emotion that followed his words. It was more than just a simple statement. It was a promise that echoed her earlier one, a promise to stick together even through the tough times, a promise to face everything side by side, a promise to always let each other in. _That’s all I’ve ever wanted_ , she realized, feeling like her heart might combust any second. “Yeah, I’d like that,” she whispered, a wide smile stretching across her face. “Preferably over breakfast. With lots of bacon,” she added, mostly because she knew it would make him laugh.

Sure enough, the corners of his eyes crinkled and those sinfully adorable dimples appeared in his cheeks as a deep chuckle shook his shoulders. Kara savored the sound, his smile, the love in his eyes, everything about this moment - she drank it all in like a parched desert traveler.

“You think I’m joking, but I’m not,” she said with a grin when Mon-El managed to stop laughing.

He shook his head. “I know that you’re always serious when it comes to food, Kara. Come here,” he said warmly, holding his arm up for her to draw in closer.

She pressed herself as close to him as possible, nuzzling her head underneath his chin, an arm wrapped tightly around his waist, and legs tangled with his before burying her face in his neck, closing her eyes. “Goodnight, Mon-El.” She turned just enough to press a soft kiss to his pulse. “I love you so much.”

His breath hitched in this throat before she felt him gently kiss the top of her head. “I love you too, Kara,” he whispered, holding her close as his hand ran up and down her back slowly, lulling her to sleep.

 

~

 

It was sometime later in the night when she found herself awake, arms still wound around Mon-El and feeling the slight rise and fall of his chest against her own. She’d been having a very nice dream of her and Mon-El leisurely flying above National City, wind in their hair and capes fluttering behind them, when she’d been startled awake by the sudden sound of Winn’s booming, English-accented voice in her head. _“...Supergirl, the mighty Girl of Steel, and Mon-El, the hero of great valor, swooped in...”_

She sighed, pressing her face into Mon-El’s shoulder, trying to find sleep again. But Winn’s words continued to echo in her mind, something about them refusing to let her go. She lifted her head to see Mon-El’s serene sleeping face and slowly removed her arms as to not wake him, wiggling out from under the covers to tiptoe over to her laptop on the table. Her email was still open and it didn’t take long for her to pull up her unfinished article. She scrolled through, chewing on her lip and mulling over what Winn had said. _“...Mon-El, the hero of great valor... ”_

Impulsively, she opened a new window and typed “valor” into the search bar.

**_ Great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle. _ **

Her breath caught as she read the definition. Leaning back in her chair, she stared at her screen pensively, thoughts of the past starting to slip in. She smiled wryly as she remembered him going after Parasite alone when she was still recovering. Getting kidnapped and shot by Cadmus. The attack on the alien bar. Slaver’s Moon. He’d been so inexperienced - and scared - then compared to the hero she’d seen in the last few months.

 _“Well, you could still be scared while being brave. ” _He’d looked at her dubiously when she’d told him that, not yet seeing his own potential just brimming under the surface. A thrilling sense of pride flowed through her now, thinking of how far he’d come since those early days. She sat up again, switching back to her article, and typed “Valor” into the first blank space she’d left when first writing it.

“Valor,” she echoed out loud softly just to see how it felt on her tongue. It was perfect. Winn was a genius. A drunk genius, but still a genius. She added Mon-El’s new superhero name in all the correct places and looked it over one more time before sending it off to James with a satisfied smile. Closing her laptop, Kara made her way back to the bed and carefully crawled in next to Mon-El, her heart melting at the softness of his face. He stirred, turning onto his back as she adjusted the blanket, cracking his eyes open halfway.

“Kara?” he murmured, his arm reaching out to curl under her waist.

She gently kissed his cheek. “I’m right here. Go back to sleep.”

Mon-El pulled her onto his chest and Kara snuggled in, burying her nose in his shirt and breathing him in. With her senses filled by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat in her ear and the pleasant heat of his arms, it wasn’t long before she drifted off back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last little scene where Kara (un)officially gives Mon-El his superhero name, Valor, was my absolute favorite to write! I cried like a baby, I'm not even kidding.
> 
> I realize that I didn't really give a reason for Clark not showing up earlier. I honestly consider it a massive plot hole that he didn't show up in 3x09/3x10 when Kara almost died, and since this fic diverges from 3x14, I wasn't sure how I could address that without it becoming a bigger deal than I wanted it to be since this fic essentially takes place in what would be the finale and that happened in the past, if that makes sense? 
> 
> Also, I'm ignoring that nasty kiss from the end of 3x07 cause it's a plot hole since we found out later that Mon-El is NOT in love with Imra and their marriage was arranged. The writers were on crack when they wrote that, but we been knew.
> 
> More from Mon-El's POV coming soon! My poor son is going through a lot. Also, I'm thinking about writing a separate little one shot of the missing scene in this chapter when Mon-El goes back to the DEO and gets Alex to help him out with making cookies cause I'm literal fucking trash for MonLex. Thoughts?


End file.
